It's a real pain to have a bucket brigade and also since I have chlorinated tap water I needed a different method for doing water changes on my 125 gallon rather than just reversing flow on my Python so I created my own method. The goal is to use my XP3 canister filter's suction to suck the water out of a plastic bin that contains pre-mixed water. It uses the intake side of the filter so the water is pre-filtered before it ever gets to the tank which eliminated unwanted contaminants and debris from getting into the tank. I also didn't want to make a sump because of the cost. The total cost of this project was under $30 not including the canister filter.
Parts List:
1x Rena Filstar XP3 canister filter
1x Watts brand 10 feet, 7/8" OD, 5/8" ID clear vinyl tubing ($10)
2x 1/2" PVC Schedule 40 ball valve solvent, part #107-633HC ($1.25)
1x 1/2" PVC schedule 40 solvent tee ($1.15)
1x GE Silicone 10.5 oz. tube ($3.67)
1x Plastic bin with lid and latches (preferably clear) ($10)
1x Sharp knife, scissors or razorblade
1x Lighter or candle
1x Prop (used to prop up one side of the plastic bin -- I used a rolled towel)
2x Suction cups (I used 1 from the XP3 kit and 1 from my Invisi-therm stealth heaters).
I probably should have used flared fittings but I couldn't find any in the correct size. I may "upgrade" to them later on and use threaded ball valves instead of solvent ball valves.
I used 7/8" OD (0.875") tubing because it fit securely in the 1/2" (0.5") valve and tee fitting without any glue. It is a little more rigid than the tubing used on the XP3. I may end up upgrading all of my tubing to this because of that. It has less chance of collapsing on itself than the XP3's tubing.
Make sure you wash all of the parts. I washed them in the sink with scalding hot water and wiped them with a wash cloth. I then let them soak in the hot water until the water started to get cold. I also test fitted the plastic bin to make sure it held water and wasn't going to burst.
Also, for the plastic bin I got one from wal-mart. It's actually not large enough to do a full 25% water change as it is about 7 gallons short but it was the largest one I could fit into the stand's doors.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. Remove intake side of tubing from the canister filter. Remove the tubing that came with the XP3 because the outside diameter of the tubing is too small to fit in the valves and tee fittings.
Step 2. Measure the length of tubing that you removed from the filter and cut that amount from the 10 feet of clear vinyl tubing. Attach it to the plastic intake piece that goes into the tank.
Step 3. Place the first ball valve onto the tubing connected to the plastic intake piece, pushing it in as far as you can. Place a bead of silicone around the tubing where it goes into the ball valve to seal that. Move on to the next step, letting this piece dry.
Step 4. Cut about a 4" piece of the vinyl tubing off of the roll and put it into the end of the tee valve. Make sure it is the end and not the side opening. Once again, push the tubing into it as far as possible and silicone it.
Step 5. Cut another 4-6" piece of vinyl tubing off the roll and put it into the other end of the tee valve and silicone it. Set that piece off to the side to dry. This is the piece that will go onto the intake on the canister filter.
Step 6. Cut another 4" piece of vinyl tubing off the roll and put it into one side of the other ball valve. Silicone that piece and let it dry.
Step 7. Drink a beer (or coke for those underage) and get something to eat.
Step 8. The first ball valve you sealed in step 3 and tee fitting in step 4 should now be dry. Place one piece of the 4" tubing from the tee fitting into the other side of the first ball valve and seal with silicone.
Step 9. Take the tube that you put in the 2nd ball valve in step 6 and put it into the side of the tee fitting and silicone it. Take all tubing left over and place into the other side of this ball valve and seal it. Let it dry over night.
Step 10. Place your plastic bin (after testing it) under the fish tank and use the towel to prop one side of it up so that water will run to one corner of the bin when it gets low.
Step 11. Get your plastic bin and put the top on it. Cut a hole in the top at of the lid large enough to fit the vinyl tubing. It should be in the corner that you have the bin tilted to. If need be, you can use a lighter or candle to heat the end of the knife or scissors to cut through the plastic easier. I used a small knife at first and it just split the top so it wasn't pretty looking. I used a heater razorblade for the next hole.
Step 12. Somewhere on the top cut another hole about 1/2"x1/2" square so that you can put the tube from your Python into it. I pull the large intake tube of the Python off and use the small tubing to fill the bin. If you don't want to, then cut about a 2"x2" square that is large enough to fit the intake tube. Additionally I use this hole to mix in my dechlorinator. I use the funnel that came with the XP3 and stick it in there and just pour the dechlorinator into the funnel so it doesn't spill all over the top.
Step 13. Go get some sleep and wait for the silicone to dry.
Step 14. Wake up, feed the fishes if necessary and continue work.
Step 15. Hook the 4-6" tube that you used in step 5 onto the canister filter. Because of the outside diameter of the tubing, you can not use the clamps included with the XP3. I would set the inside of the tubing so it will slide on better.
Step 16. Place the plastic intake tube into the tank and attach it however you want. Keep in mind that the tubing is more rigid so it may not work in the same place.
Step 17. Place the long tube coming off the 2nd ball valve into the plastic bin placing the end of it in the corner that you tilted the bin toward. Use the suction cups to secure it in place. I used the invisi-therm suction cup to actually secure it and the XP3 suction cup for extra security. I don't like the XP3's because they tend to come loose easier and the invisi-therm suction cups hold the tube better.
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HOW TO USE
Normal Operation
First ball valve on the main intake tube is OPEN. Second ball valve come off of tee fitting into plastic bin is CLOSED.
Re-fill Operation
Close first ball valve on main intake tube and IMMEDIATELY open the second ball valve coming off of the tee fitting. It should start sucking the water out of the bin. When you are close to the bottom or it begins sucking air then close the second ball vale and re-open the first ball valve. It should then start sucking water from the tank.
Priming the XP3
You can either do it the old way by pulling the quick disconnect up then filling the tube and then closing the quick disconnect. Make sure the first ball valve is open and second ball valve is closed. Alternatively you can leave the quick disconnect alone and simply close the first ball valve. Fill it up as usual and just open the ball valve. This will create the same siphon action.
I'll post better pics when I get them off my digital cam.
Parts List:
1x Rena Filstar XP3 canister filter
1x Watts brand 10 feet, 7/8" OD, 5/8" ID clear vinyl tubing ($10)
2x 1/2" PVC Schedule 40 ball valve solvent, part #107-633HC ($1.25)
1x 1/2" PVC schedule 40 solvent tee ($1.15)
1x GE Silicone 10.5 oz. tube ($3.67)
1x Plastic bin with lid and latches (preferably clear) ($10)
1x Sharp knife, scissors or razorblade
1x Lighter or candle
1x Prop (used to prop up one side of the plastic bin -- I used a rolled towel)
2x Suction cups (I used 1 from the XP3 kit and 1 from my Invisi-therm stealth heaters).
I probably should have used flared fittings but I couldn't find any in the correct size. I may "upgrade" to them later on and use threaded ball valves instead of solvent ball valves.
I used 7/8" OD (0.875") tubing because it fit securely in the 1/2" (0.5") valve and tee fitting without any glue. It is a little more rigid than the tubing used on the XP3. I may end up upgrading all of my tubing to this because of that. It has less chance of collapsing on itself than the XP3's tubing.
Make sure you wash all of the parts. I washed them in the sink with scalding hot water and wiped them with a wash cloth. I then let them soak in the hot water until the water started to get cold. I also test fitted the plastic bin to make sure it held water and wasn't going to burst.
Also, for the plastic bin I got one from wal-mart. It's actually not large enough to do a full 25% water change as it is about 7 gallons short but it was the largest one I could fit into the stand's doors.
-----------------------
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. Remove intake side of tubing from the canister filter. Remove the tubing that came with the XP3 because the outside diameter of the tubing is too small to fit in the valves and tee fittings.
Step 2. Measure the length of tubing that you removed from the filter and cut that amount from the 10 feet of clear vinyl tubing. Attach it to the plastic intake piece that goes into the tank.
Step 3. Place the first ball valve onto the tubing connected to the plastic intake piece, pushing it in as far as you can. Place a bead of silicone around the tubing where it goes into the ball valve to seal that. Move on to the next step, letting this piece dry.
Step 4. Cut about a 4" piece of the vinyl tubing off of the roll and put it into the end of the tee valve. Make sure it is the end and not the side opening. Once again, push the tubing into it as far as possible and silicone it.
Step 5. Cut another 4-6" piece of vinyl tubing off the roll and put it into the other end of the tee valve and silicone it. Set that piece off to the side to dry. This is the piece that will go onto the intake on the canister filter.
Step 6. Cut another 4" piece of vinyl tubing off the roll and put it into one side of the other ball valve. Silicone that piece and let it dry.
Step 7. Drink a beer (or coke for those underage) and get something to eat.
Step 8. The first ball valve you sealed in step 3 and tee fitting in step 4 should now be dry. Place one piece of the 4" tubing from the tee fitting into the other side of the first ball valve and seal with silicone.
Step 9. Take the tube that you put in the 2nd ball valve in step 6 and put it into the side of the tee fitting and silicone it. Take all tubing left over and place into the other side of this ball valve and seal it. Let it dry over night.
Step 10. Place your plastic bin (after testing it) under the fish tank and use the towel to prop one side of it up so that water will run to one corner of the bin when it gets low.
Step 11. Get your plastic bin and put the top on it. Cut a hole in the top at of the lid large enough to fit the vinyl tubing. It should be in the corner that you have the bin tilted to. If need be, you can use a lighter or candle to heat the end of the knife or scissors to cut through the plastic easier. I used a small knife at first and it just split the top so it wasn't pretty looking. I used a heater razorblade for the next hole.
Step 12. Somewhere on the top cut another hole about 1/2"x1/2" square so that you can put the tube from your Python into it. I pull the large intake tube of the Python off and use the small tubing to fill the bin. If you don't want to, then cut about a 2"x2" square that is large enough to fit the intake tube. Additionally I use this hole to mix in my dechlorinator. I use the funnel that came with the XP3 and stick it in there and just pour the dechlorinator into the funnel so it doesn't spill all over the top.
Step 13. Go get some sleep and wait for the silicone to dry.
Step 14. Wake up, feed the fishes if necessary and continue work.
Step 15. Hook the 4-6" tube that you used in step 5 onto the canister filter. Because of the outside diameter of the tubing, you can not use the clamps included with the XP3. I would set the inside of the tubing so it will slide on better.
Step 16. Place the plastic intake tube into the tank and attach it however you want. Keep in mind that the tubing is more rigid so it may not work in the same place.
Step 17. Place the long tube coming off the 2nd ball valve into the plastic bin placing the end of it in the corner that you tilted the bin toward. Use the suction cups to secure it in place. I used the invisi-therm suction cup to actually secure it and the XP3 suction cup for extra security. I don't like the XP3's because they tend to come loose easier and the invisi-therm suction cups hold the tube better.
-----------------------
HOW TO USE
Normal Operation
First ball valve on the main intake tube is OPEN. Second ball valve come off of tee fitting into plastic bin is CLOSED.
Re-fill Operation
Close first ball valve on main intake tube and IMMEDIATELY open the second ball valve coming off of the tee fitting. It should start sucking the water out of the bin. When you are close to the bottom or it begins sucking air then close the second ball vale and re-open the first ball valve. It should then start sucking water from the tank.
Priming the XP3
You can either do it the old way by pulling the quick disconnect up then filling the tube and then closing the quick disconnect. Make sure the first ball valve is open and second ball valve is closed. Alternatively you can leave the quick disconnect alone and simply close the first ball valve. Fill it up as usual and just open the ball valve. This will create the same siphon action.
I'll post better pics when I get them off my digital cam.
